Introduction
The quality of an artwork is hard to evaluate, and the importance of doing so may seem doubtful. In contemporary art history, a sort of agreement has formed upon the subjectivity of art perception, which does not establish the existence of a finite interpretation and allows the existence even of those interpretations that are not grounded in work. The descriptions of Fernando Botero’s works tend to focus on their piquancy and oddity, which may be conspicuous qualities of the painter’s style. Nonetheless, Botero’s works show multiple sides of life in all strata of Colombian society, which broadens its possible interpretations.
Main body
Fernando Botero’s style is instantly recognizable, perhaps, that is why this Colombian creator became one of the most known figurative artists in Latin America (Grass). The painter’s singular style is grounded in whimsicality, in portraying figures that do not shy away from taking their space on the canvas, and who are not afraid of overwhelming it by their presence. Botero’s works are thematically rich – scenes from Colombian provincial life coexist with the elevated experience of the Mona Lisa in Botero’s interpretation.
The “gorditos” from the artist’s painting is often described as typically Colombian, partially, in the atmosphere that is created by their visual context (Botero, “The Botero’s Art”). Those snow-capped mountains and volcanoes, those towns with their colored clay tiles and their narrow and steep streets, create perfect stages for Botero’s characters. They vary from prostitutes to virgins, bishops, and nuns – there is no one whom Botero refuses to portray in his works. Moreover, food on the artist’s canvas has its dedicated place – watermelons, bananas, and oranges are Botero’s favorite (Botero, “The Botero’s Art”). Thus historical and geographical context plays an immense role in the painter’s works – Botero, seemingly, wants it to be recognizable. To make sure that the viewers instantly make the connection between the paintings and the geographical location that is supposed to be represented, Colombian flags often sway in the background.
Botero’s The House of Maria Duque creates an impression of a family portrait in the way it is composed and the placement of the depicted people. The characters of the painting are lined up as if in anticipation of a group photo being taken, although some of them are just in the process of getting ready. The way the characters have frozen amid the action, almost taken by surprise, creates the instantaneity of the painting – the characters are here to pose but, at the same time, do not commit to it fully. They froze in the mess of a gloomy room – some gazing directly into the spectator’s eyes. The scene may stem from the painter’s bohemian adolescence in Medellín (Rapoza). Botero tells its spectators a story, allowing them to imagine the relationships between these distinctive characters by depicting a scene full of small details that only an attentive spectator would perceive. As a reward for this capacity to truly see, Botero gives a spectator a vibrant moment of bohemian life.
The sense of space in Botero’s works is not measured, it is purposefully misbalanced: the painter takes to it the same approach as baroque artists do. In The House of Maria Duque, the intense physical presence of the depicted people and the shapes of their figures serve to express human emotions and even relationships between them. The disparity between the heights could suggest that the relationships between the depicted persons have a hierarchical character. Some of them overwhelm others with their height, which is especially evident in regard to a senior lady with a broom in the corner, who is, potentially, a housekeeper. The choice to depict this lady, particularly in a corner and with a smaller figure, seems quite strategic. Botero is known for using his painting to criticize social injustice: the painter created a series of images reacting to the situation in Abu Ghraib prison (Danielson 198).
Social criticism forms a part of interpretation in The House of Maria Duque, although it does not occupy its central place.
Botero is a master of space and perspective, which is seen in the way his characters are positioned to give an impression of monumentality – the artist uses his layout skills to the fullest in The House of Maria Duque. The golden-brown tones of the painting refer to Klimt’s The Kiss, even if only in this similarity in their color schemes. Even if valid, this reference does not seem to be intentional, still, it enriches the painting placing it a broader associative array of a spectator. The warm colors of the art arise from the mixture of the interior and skin tones of the figures, which merge in a mess of a shabby room. The sensibility and opulence of Botero’s works become more conspicuous in these vibrant colors. The interplay of light and shadow in The House of Maria Duque enhances the tangibility of the painting’s subjects. In this way, Botero’s style verges on Baroque in the use of dramatic light.
Conclusion
Botero finds the source of inspiration in the pictorial works of Renaissance and Baroque art (Grass). This inspiration refers, in particular, to both the themes and the sarcasm that the characters represented convey. The painter knows not only how to depict the aesthetic object, but also reproduces its essence. It seems that Botero’s illustrative style, in which the round predominates, is something that remains embedded in the memory of the viewer.
Works Cited
Botero, Fernando. “Botero’s Art”. TEDxBeijingSalon. 2016. Lecture.
Danielson, Anna. “Torture in Art Throughout History”. Journal Student Research, no. 15, 2016, pp. 196‑205.
Grass, Kacper. “Fernando Botero’s Guide to Colombian History and Culture”. Daily Art Magazine, 2018.
Rapoza, Kenneth. “How to Do Cartagena, Colombia Like a Botero”. Forbes. 2016.